Boat Drain Plug With Removable Ball Valve Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing boat drain plug systems are difficult to disassemble for maintenance and cleaning, requiring additional tools that can be misplaced or lost, and do not provide effective one-way drainage to prevent water from entering the boat.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical plug system with a removably mounted ball valve assembly and plug cap/tool that allows for easy disassembly and cleaning, featuring a ball valve with a sealing mechanism and optional screen to prevent water entry, and a tool receiver for self-contained maintenance without extra tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional ball valve system is used in a boat drain plug, then water drainage is achieved, but the valve becomes difficult to disassemble for cleaning and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is divided into separate components: a ball valve assembly that can be independently removed from the plug body. The ball valve assembly includes the ball, seat, and screen as separate parts that can be easily taken apart for cleaning without requiring tool assistance or complex disassembly procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball valve assembly is extracted as a removable unit from the plug body, allowing it to be easily removed and reinstalled. This extraction design enables maintenance personnel to access and clean the ball, seat, and screen components without disassembling the entire plug structure or requiring additional tools.
2Ease of repair
If additional tools are provided for valve disassembly, then maintenance capability is improved, but the risk of tool misplacement or loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plug cap serves a dual function as both a sealing component and a disassembly tool. By integrating the tool function directly into the plug cap that is already part of the assembly, the system eliminates the need for separate external tools. The plug cap's shaped end engages with the ball valve assembly's receptacle, allowing users to easily remove and reinstall the ball valve assembly using only the components already provided with the device.
3Productivity
If a one-way valve mechanism is implemented, then water flow control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex mechanical one-way valve mechanism that requires moving parts and actuation systems, the invention employs a simple ball-and-seat configuration where the ball naturally falls by gravity to seal against the seat when water flow stops. This inverted approach uses the weight of the ball itself rather than external actuation mechanisms, achieving one-way flow control with minimal complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball, seat, and screen are designed as homogeneous materials that can be easily manufactured and assembled. The ball is a simple spherical component, the seat is a matching recess, and the screen is a straightforward filtering element. This homogeneity in design and material selection simplifies manufacturing and assembly while achieving effective one-way drainage functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a durable, reliable, and easy-to-maintain one-way check valve that allows efficient drainage while preventing water from entering the boat, minimizing damage and ensuring user safety.
Implementation Method 1
a ball valve assembly removably mounted within the cylindrical-shaped plug, wherein the ball valve assembly further comprises a ball, and a sealing ball seat component wherein the sealing ball seat component is shaped to receive the ball when the ball valve assembly is in the sealed position
Data Source
AI summary
A boat plug system for automatically sealing a boat. The boat plug system is mounted in a drain hole passing through the boat's transom and includes: a cylindrical-shaped plug; a ball valve assembly removably coupled within the cylindrical-shaped plug; and further comprising a ball, a sealing ball seat component having a frustroconical shape to receive the ball when the ball valve assembly is in the sealed position, and at least one screen; and a plug cap/tool further comprising a tool head on one side for removably coupling the ball valve assembly within the cylindrical-shaped plug and an opposite side of the plug cap/tool from the tool head is for sealing the cylindrical-shaped plug. Water may flow out of the boat's drain hole, but is substantially stopped from flowing from the exterior of the boat to the interior via the drain hole.